Batting

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Tied at 3-3 going into the bottom of the eighth inning the Green Knights of St. Norbert College (6-3) scored the game deciding run in the frame to sneak by baseball (5-3) by the final of 4-3 in the last game of their 2012 spring trip Saturday afternoon at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex.

With a 5-3 mark on the year the Beacons will leave Florida with one of their best spring trip records under head coach Brendan Eygabroat. Combined UMass recorded a combined 45 runs and pulled out huge wins like a 2-1 bottom of the ninth win over Ripon College and two shutout victories over Becker College (11-0) and Roger Williams University (10-0).

On the day the Beacons combined for seven hits, while the Green Knights posted 11 to close out their spring trip.

Leading UMass at the plate was Jamill Moquette (Boston, Mass.) who went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Newly anointed Tyler Kirwan (Syracuse, N.Y.) went 2-for-3 and continued to play strong defense for the Beacons.

On the hill Lucas Illges (Gloucester, Mass.) had a steady performance as he combined for three strikeouts over five complete innings. Tom Cole closed out the final three frames and also posted three strikeouts as well.

Travis Mason fueled St. Norbert as he went eight full innings and allowed six hits and had tallied three strikeouts. Jose Godinez, who caught the first eight innings, earned the save as he allowed just one hit in the top of the ninth.

St. Norbert got on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the first, but was quickly tied-up in the top of the second. The Green Knights retook control of the lead in the bottom half of the second. The two squads would each manage a single run in the fifth. UMass Boston tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Charles LaPaglia (Marshfield, Mass.).

Unfortunately the Green Knights would get the game-deciding win in the bottom half the eighth to pull out the victory.

Baseball returns to action on Wednesday when they travel to Johnson and Wales University for a 3:30 p.m. non-conference game.